Nicole Stokes

Ezh2 Orchestrates Gene Expression for the Stepwise Differentiation of Tissue-Specific Stem Cells

Although in vitro studies of embryonic stem cells have identified polycomb repressor complexes (PRCs) as key regulators of differentiation, it remains unclear as to how PRC-mediated mechanisms control fates of multipotent progenitors in developing tissues. Here, we show that an essential PRC component, Ezh2, is expressed in epidermal progenitors but diminishes concomitant with embryonic differentiation and with postnatal decline in proliferative activity. We show that Ezh2 controls proliferative potential of basal progenitors by repressing the Ink4A-Ink4B locus and tempers the developmental rate of differentiation by preventing premature recruitment of AP1 transcriptional activator to the structural genes that are required for epidermal differentiation. Together, our studies reveal that PRCs control epigenetic modifications temporally and spatially in tissue-restricted stem cells. They maintain their proliferative potential and globally repressing undesirable differentiation programs while selectively establishing a specific terminal differentiation program in a stepwise fashion.

Loss of a quiescent niche but not follicle stem cells in the absence of bone morphogenetic protein signaling

During the hair cycle, follicle stem cells (SCs) residing in a specialized niche called the “bulge” undergo bouts of quiescence and activation to cyclically regenerate new hairs. Developmental studies have long implicated the canonical bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathway in hair follicle (HF) determination and differentiation, but how BMP signaling functions in the hair follicle SC niche remains unknown. Here, we use loss and gain of function studies to manipulate BMP signaling in the SC niche. We show that when the Bmpr1a gene is conditionally ablated, otherwise quiescent SCs are activated to proliferate, causing an expansion of the niche and loss of slow-cycling cells. Surprisingly, follicle SCs are not lost, however, but rather, they generate long-lived, tumor-like branches that express Sox4, Lhx2, and Sonic Hedgehog but fail to terminally differentiate to make hair. A key component of BMPR1A-deficient SCs is their elevated levels of both Lef1 and β-catenin, which form a bipartite transcription complex required for initiation of the hair cycle. Although β-catenin can be stabilized by Wnt signaling, we show that BMPR1A deficiency enhances β-catenin stabilization in the niche through a pathway involving PTEN inhibition and PI3K/AKT activation. Conversely, sustained BMP signaling in the SC niche blocks activation and promotes premature hair follicle differentiation. Together, these studies reveal the importance of balancing BMP signaling in the SC niche.

EZH1 and EZH2 cogovern histone H3K27 trimethylation and are essential for hair follicle homeostasis and wound repair

Polycomb protein group (PcG)-dependent trimethylation on H3K27 (H3K27me3) regulates identity of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). How H3K27me3 governs adult SCs and tissue development is unclear. Here, we conditionally target H3K27 methyltransferases Ezh2 and Ezh1 to address their roles in mouse skin homeostasis. Postnatal phenotypes appear only in doubly targeted skin, where H3K27me3 is abolished, revealing functional redundancy in EZH1/2 proteins. Surprisingly, while Ezh1/2-null hair follicles (HFs) arrest morphogenesis and degenerate due to defective proliferation and increased apoptosis, epidermis hyperproliferates and survives engraftment. mRNA microarray studies reveal that, despite these striking phenotypic differences, similar genes are up-regulated in HF and epidermal Ezh1/2-null progenitors. Featured prominently are (1) PcG-controlled nonskin lineage genes, whose expression is still significantly lower than in native tissues, and (2) the PcG-regulated Ink4a/Inkb/Arf locus. Interestingly, when EZH1/2 are absent, even though Ink4a/Arf/Ink4b genes are fully activated in HF cells, they are only partially so in epidermal progenitors. Importantly, transduction of Ink4b/Ink4a/Arf shRNAs restores proliferation/survival of Ezh1/2-null HF progenitors in vitro, pointing toward the relevance of this locus to the observed HF phenotypes. Our findings reveal new insights into Polycomb-dependent tissue control, and provide a new twist to how different progenitors within one tissue respond to loss of H3K27me3.

New insights into cadherin function in epidermal sheet formation and maintenance of tissue integrity

Co-expression and gene linkage have hampered elucidating the physiological relevance of cadherins in mammalian tissues. Here, we combine conditional gene ablation and transgenic RNA interference to uncover new roles for E- and P-cadherins in epidermal sheet formation in vitro and maintenance of epidermal integrity in vivo. By devising skin-specific RNAi technology, we demonstrate that cadherin inhibition in vivo impairs junction formation and intercellular adhesion and increases apoptosis. These defects compromise epidermal barrier function and tissue integrity. In vitro, with only E-cadherin missing, epidermal sheet formation is delayed, but when both cadherins are suppressed, defects extend to adherens junctions, desmosomes, tight junctions and cortical actin dynamics. Using different rescue strategies, we show that cadherin level rather than subtype is critical. Finally, by comparing conditional loss-of-function studies of epidermal catenins and cadherins, we dissect cadherin-dependent and independent roles of adherens junction components in tissue physiology.

SOX9: a stem cell transcriptional regulator of secreted niche signaling factors

Hair follicles (HFs) undergo cyclical periods of growth, which are fueled by stem cells (SCs) at the base of the resting follicle. HF-SC formation occurs during HF development and requires transcription factor SOX9. Whether and how SOX9 functions in HF-SC maintenance remain unknown. By conditionally targeting Sox9 in adult HF-SCs, we show that SOX9 is essential for maintaining them. SOX9-deficient HF-SCs still transition from quiescence to proliferation and launch the subsequent hair cycle. However, once activated, bulge HF-SCs begin to differentiate into epidermal cells, which naturally lack SOX9. In addition, as HF-SC numbers dwindle, outer root sheath production is not sustained, and HF downgrowth arrests prematurely. Probing the mechanism, we used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to identify SOX9-dependent transcriptional changes and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and deep sequencing (ChIP-seq) to identify SOX9-bound genes in HF-SCs. Intriguingly, a large cohort of SOX9-sensitive targets encode extracellular factors, most notably enhancers of Activin/pSMAD2 signaling. Moreover, compromising Activin signaling recapitulates SOX9-dependent defects, and Activin partially rescues them. Overall, our findings reveal roles for SOX9 in regulating adult HF-SC maintenance and suppressing epidermal differentiation in the niche. In addition, our studies expose a role for SCs in coordinating their own behavior in part through non-cell-autonomous signaling within the niche.

An RNA interference screen uncovers a new molecule in stem cell self-renewal and long-term regeneration

Adult stem cells sustain tissue maintenance and regeneration throughout the lifetime of an animal. These cells often reside in specific signalling niches that orchestrate the stem cell’s balancing act between quiescence and cell-cycle re-entry based on the demand for tissue regeneration. How stem cells maintain their capacity to replenish themselves after tissue regeneration is poorly understood. Here we use RNA-interference-based loss-of-function screening as a powerful approach to uncover transcriptional regulators that govern the self-renewal capacity and regenerative potential of stem cells. Hair follicle stem cells provide an ideal model. These cells have been purified and characterized from their native niche in vivo and, in contrast to their rapidly dividing progeny, they can be maintained and passaged long-term in vitro. Focusing on the nuclear proteins and/or transcription factors that are enriched in stem cells compared with their progeny, we screened ∼2,000 short hairpin RNAs for their effect on long-term, but not short-term, stem cell self-renewal in vitro. To address the physiological relevance of our findings, we selected one candidate that was uncovered in the screen: TBX1. This transcription factor is expressed in many tissues but has not been studied in the context of stem cell biology. By conditionally ablating Tbx1 in vivo, we showed that during homeostasis, tissue regeneration occurs normally but is markedly delayed. We then devised an in vivo assay for stem cell replenishment and found that when challenged with repetitive rounds of regeneration, the Tbx1-deficient stem cell niche becomes progressively depleted. Addressing the mechanism of TBX1 action, we discovered that TBX1 acts as an intrinsic rheostat of BMP signalling: it is a gatekeeper that governs the transition between stem cell quiescence and proliferation in hair follicles. Our results validate the RNA interference screen and underscore its power in unearthing new molecules that govern stem cell self-renewal and tissue-regenerative potential.

Targeted p120-Catenin Ablation Disrupts Dental Enamel Development

Dental enamel development occurs in stages. The ameloblast cell layer is adjacent to, and is responsible for, enamel formation. When rodent pre-ameloblasts become tall columnar secretory-stage ameloblasts, they secrete enamel matrix proteins, and the ameloblasts start moving in rows that slide by one another. This movement is necessary to form the characteristic decussating enamel prism pattern. Thus, a dynamic system of intercellular interactions is required for proper enamel development. Cadherins are components of the adherens junction (AJ), and they span the cell membrane to mediate attachment to adjacent cells. p120 stabilizes cadherins by preventing their internalization and degradation. So, we asked if p120-mediated cadherin stability is important for dental enamel formation. Targeted p120 ablation in the mouse enamel organ had a striking effect. Secretory stage ameloblasts detached from surrounding tissues, lost polarity, flattened, and ameloblast E- and N-cadherin expression became undetectable by immunostaining. The enamel itself was poorly mineralized and appeared to be composed of a thin layer of merged spheres that abraded from the tooth. Significantly, p120 mosaic mouse teeth were capable of forming normal enamel demonstrating that the enamel defects were not a secondary effect of p120 ablation. Surprisingly, blood-filled sinusoids developed in random locations around the developing teeth. This has not been observed in other p120-ablated tissues and may be due to altered p120-mediated cell signaling. These data reveal a critical role for p120 in tooth and dental enamel development and are consistent with p120 directing the attachment and detachment of the secretory stage ameloblasts as they move in rows.

Wdr1-mediated cell shape dynamics and cortical tension are essential for epidermal planar cell polarity

During mouse development, core planar cell polarity (PCP) proteins become polarized in the epidermal plane to guide angling/morphogenesis of hair follicles. How PCP is established is poorly understood. Here, we identify a key role for Wdr1 (also known as Aip1), an F-actin-binding protein that enhances cofilin/destrin-mediated F-actin disassembly. We show that cofilin and destrin function redundantly in developing epidermis, but their combined depletion perturbs cell adhesion, cytokinesis, apicobasal polarity and PCP. Although Wdr1 depletion accentuates single-loss-of-cofilin/destrin phenotypes, alone it resembles core PCP mutations. Seeking a mechanism, we find that Wdr1 and cofilin/destrin-mediated actomyosin remodelling are essential for generating or maintaining cortical tension within the developing epidermal sheet and driving the cell shape and planar orientation changes that accompany establishment of PCP in mammalian epidermis. Our findings suggest intriguing evolutionary parallels but mechanistic modifications to the distal wing hinge-mediated mechanical forces that drive cell shape change and orient PCP in the Drosophila wing disc.

E-Cadherin Can Replace N-Cadherin during Secretory- Stage Enamel Development

Background N-cadherin is a cell-cell adhesion molecule and deletion of N-cadherin in mice is embryonic lethal. During the secretory stage of enamel development, E-cadherin is down-regulated and N-cadherin is specifically up-regulated in ameloblasts when groups of ameloblasts slide by one another to form the rodent decussating enamel rod pattern. Since N-cadherin promotes cell migration, we asked if N-cadherin is essential for ameloblast cell movement during enamel development. Methodology/Principal Findings The enamel organ, including its ameloblasts, is an epithelial tissue and for this study a mouse strain with N-cadherin ablated from epithelium was generated. Enamel from wild-type (WT) and N-cadherin conditional knockout (cKO) mice was analyzed. μCT and scanning electron microscopy showed that thickness, surface structure, and prism pattern of the cKO enamel looked identical to WT. No significant difference in hardness was observed between WT and cKO enamel. Interestingly, immunohistochemistry revealed the WT and N-cadherin cKO secretory stage ameloblasts expressed approximately equal amounts of total cadherins. Strikingly, E-cadherin was not normally down-regulated during the secretory stage in the cKO mice suggesting that E-cadherin can compensate for the loss of N-cadherin. Previously it was demonstrated that bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) induces E- and N-cadherin expression in human calvaria osteoblasts and we show that the N-cadherin cKO enamel organ expressed significantly more BMP2 and significantly less of the BMP antagonist Noggin than did WT enamel organ. Conclusions/Significance The E- to N-cadherin switch at the secretory stage is not essential for enamel development or for forming the decussating enamel rod pattern. E-cadherin can substitute for N-cadherin during these developmental processes. Bmp2 expression may compensate for the loss of N-cadherin by inducing or maintaining E-cadherin expression when E-cadherin is normally down-regulated. Notably, this is the first demonstration of a natural endogenous increase in E-cadherin expression due to N-cadherin ablation in a healthy developing tissue.